Georgia poll results: Nathan Deal, Medicaid expansion, gun violence

I know it can sometimes feel a little lonely being a progressive in Georgia.

But trust me, it only feels that way. And we’ve got the data to prove it.

There are actually millions of Georgians in every corner of our state who believe the same things you do.

As a donor to Better Georgia you have access to our quarterly polling before anyone else.

Download Better Georgia’s latest statewide polling. In 2012, New York Times columnist and leading political polling analyst Nate Silver ranked Better Georgia’s polling efforts the most accurate in the state. Click to download PDF. »

Like you, voters across Georgia know that our tax dollars are better spent building strong roads and safe schools than they are on corporate giveaways. They know background checks before gun purchases are common sense and money designated specifically for school children should actually make it into the classroom.

And they sure as heck know that Gov. Deal’s appointment of failed businessman and disgraced former Republican senator Chip Rogers to be a mouthpiece for the Governor at GPB is an absurd waste of precious tax dollars and pretty good reason to boot him out of office. Even Republicans know that!

Here’s a quick summary of what we found out when we polled more than 1,000 registered voters last week:

Gov. Nathan Deal

With less than two years before he will stand for re-election Gov. Nathan Deal finds himself on shaky ground with voters. His approval rating has slumped to 46 percent and only 32 percent of registered voters believe that Georgia is headed in the right direction, compared with a majority, 52 percent, who believe we’re headed down the wrong track.

When asked to think ahead to the next general election for governor in 2014, only 29 percent would vote to re-elect Nathan Deal while 41 percent would prefer “someone else.” The news doesn’t get any better for Gov. Deal when looking at his chances in his party’s primary race. Among likely Republican primary voters, 42 percent are uncertain as to who they’ll vote for, 35 percent want someone more conservative while only 24 percent of the governor’s party members are looking forward to supporting him.

Unfortunately for the governor, he has much more immediate problems. His appointment of former senator Chip Rogers has stayed on front pages since mid-December and appears to be politically toxic. In large numbers, voters are not happy with the governor’s matchmaking at Georgia Public Broadcasting. An overwhelming majority, 62 percent of voters, find Gov. Deal’s appointment of Rogers to be a convincing reason to vote against him. A surprising 43 percent find it to be a very convincing reason. In more than a full year of testing voter criticisms against Gov. Deal, no single issue has stirred as much anger as the governor’s role in creating a $150,000 per year, taxpayer funded state job for Rogers. Even among voters who are certain to vote in the GOP primary, 49 percent responded that it was a convincing reason to vote against the governor.

Medicaid Expansion

Georgia and other states are considering whether to accept more federal funds for Medicaid, as allocated through the Affordable Care Act. The money would insure more Georgians, put hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy, create or save thousands of jobs and possibly prevent rural hospitals from closing. Along with other conservative GOP governors, Gov. Deal has rejected Medicaid expansion. When asked, 61 percent of registered voters support expanding the program and only 18 percent oppose.

Gun Violence Prevention

Current state and federal laws allow anyone to buy a gun even a military style assault weapon without a background check or any sort of safety training. Georgia’s gun laws are among the most lax in the nation. Georgia voters strongly support sensible gun laws, including 62 percent support for mandatory background checks on all gun sales. Only 29 percent want to keep the laws as they are now. There is little wiggle-room on this issue with only 5 percent of registered voters saying they are unsure of which option they support. While the question tightens with Republican primary voters, still 52 percent support background checks and 42 percent want no change at all.

Education Trust Fund

Over the last several years, the state Legislature has cut money for local school districts, failing to meet its funding obligation under Georgia law. As a result, local school property taxes have gone up to fill the gap. Some legislators propose creating a public school trust fund that will safeguard tax dollars meant for schools to prevent politicians from spending it on other things. When asked, 69 percent would support the so-called Education Trust Fund while only 10 percent would oppose it.

Other snapshots

61 percent of voters support legalized marriage or civil unions for gay couples, 34 percent oppose any expansion of rights

38 percent of voters support legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use while 51 percent oppose

50 percent of voters support banning corporate contributions to political campaigns, 26 percent oppose such a law and 24 percent remain undecided

We hope you are encouraged by the potential we find in these numbers. We are.

We have a lot of work left to do but with your continued support we’re going make sure Georgia’s government is accountable to all voters.